Multi-dose nutritional supplements

ABSTRACT

Multi-dose packages of nutritional supplements are provided that are designed for regular and continuous use by a specific target (i.e., consumer) over a reoccurring predetermined period of time. The multi-dose packaging of nutritional supplements contains supplements that vary in dosage and that are each intended to be taken at a specific time during the predetermined period of time. Each supplement in the series is tailored to contain unit dosages of nutritional supplements that are designed to address specific needs of the intended consumer during the predetermined period of time at which the supplement is intended to be ingested.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority of U.S. Application Ser. No.61/451,917, filed on Mar. 11, 2001, titled Multi-Dose Packaging ofNutritional Supplements, which application is incorporated in itsentirety by reference in this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to nutritional supplements and, inparticular, nutritional supplements having varying dosages over apredetermined time period of time depending upon when the particularsupplement is intended to be consumed within such predetermined timeperiod.

2. Related Art

Nutritional supplements are commonly used for the purpose of maintaininggood health. Nutritional supplements can include vitamins, ‘minerals’,amino acids, fiber, herbs or other botanicals, etc., which aretraditionally sold in packages where all the unit dosages of aparticular supplement are the same.

Nutritional supplements can include vitamins, which are defined as anyof various organic substances that are essential in minute quantities tothe nutrition of most animals. Vitamins act especially as coenzymes andprecursors of coenzymes in the regulation of metabolic processes, but donot provide energy or serve as building units. There are bothfat-soluble vitamins (for example, Vitamin E), and water-solublevitamins (for example, Vitamin C).

Nutritional supplements can also include “minerals”, which are achemical element required by living organisms to support the biochemicalreactions of metabolism, and maintain optimal health. These requiredchemical elements can be are naturally present in food (e.g., calcium inmilk), or can be added to food (e.g., iodized salt) or included in adietary supplement.

Nutritional supplements can also include neutraceuticals, which can be afortified food that provides health or medical benefits in addition toits basic nutritional value. Nutritional supplements may furtherinclude, as vitamins, minerals, neutraceuticals, or in additional tothose categories of supplements, soluble and insoluble fiber, fattyacids, herbs, plants, amino acids and digestive enzymes or any othersubstance or compound having or promoting a health benefit to consumers.As discussed above, nutritional supplements as well as their components,such as vitamins, minerals, neutraceuticals, etc., are traditionallysold in packages where all the unit dosages of a particular supplementare the same.

While nutritional supplements are traditionally sold in packages wherethe unit dosages of each supplement are the same, the nutritional needsof consumer vary over predetermined time periods. By way of exampleonly, certain studies have shown that increased calcium assists indecreasing symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome. It wouldtherefore be beneficial to provide women with a multi-vitamin where acertain number of the vitamins, in the multi-dose package, haveincreased doses of calcium and where the certain number vitamins aremarked for ingested prior to, or during menstruation. Numerous otherexamples exist citing the benefit of increased supplements duringcertain times in the natural cycle of an individual's life, whether theconsumer may be a man, women or a child. A need therefore exists fornutritional supplements that respond to the various needs of consumersover a predetermined period of time.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the invention, multi-dose packages of nutritionalsupplements are provided that are designed for regular and continuoususe by a specific target (i.e., consumer) over a reoccurringpredetermined period of time, such as a day, month, season, year, orother defined time period. The multi-dose packaging of nutritionalsupplements contains supplements that vary in dosage and that are eachintended to be taken at a specific time during the predetermined periodof time. Each supplement in the series is tailored to contain unitdosages of nutritional supplements that are designed to address specificneeds (e.g., psychological needs) of an individual during thepredetermined period of time at which the supplement is intended to beingested.

By way of example, the multi-dose package may contain at least a firstunit dosage of a nutritional supplement and a second unit dosage of thenutritional supplement, where the amount of the nutritional supplementin the first unit dosage differs from the amount of the nutritionalsupplement in the second unit dosage. The multi-dose packages may beprepackages or tailored for the specific needs of an individual withspecific conditions having a varying need over time.

As summarized above, the subject invention provides devices, systems andmethods for meeting the nutritional needs of a subject. In someinstances, the nutritional needs of a subject may vary over time. Infurther describing the subject invention, representative implementationsof the subject multi-dose nutritional supplement packages are describedin detail.

Other devices, apparatus, systems, methods, features and advantages ofthe invention will be or will become apparent to one with skill in theart upon examination of the following figures and detailed description.It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features andadvantages be included within this description, be within the scope ofthe invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention may be better understood by referring to the followingfigures. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale,emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of theinvention. In the figures, like reference numerals designatecorresponding parts throughout the different views.

FIG. 1 illustrates one example of a weekly multi-dose package of theinvention.

FIG. 2 illustrates another example of a weekly multi-dose package of theinvention.

FIG. 3 illustrates one example of a twenty-eight day multi-dose packageof the invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates one example of a six month multi-dose package of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The foregoing description of various implementations has been presentedfor purposes of illustration and description. The descriptions are notexhaustive and do not limit the claimed inventions to the precise formdisclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of theabove description or may be acquired from practicing the invention. Itis further understood that the terminology used in this application isfor the purposes of describing particular implementations of theinvention only are is not intended to be limiting. The claims and theirequivalents define the scope of the invention.

As summarized above, the present invention relates to multi-dosepackages of nutritional supplements designed for regular and continuoususe by a specific target (i.e., consumer) over a reoccurringpredetermined period of time (e.g., a day, month, season, year, or otherdefined time period). The multi-dose packaging of nutritionalsupplements contains supplements that vary in dosage and that are eachintended to be taken at a specific time during the predetermined periodof time. Each supplement in the series is tailored to contain unitdosages of nutritional supplements that are designed to address specificneeds of an individual during the predetermined period of time at whicheach supplement is intended to be ingested.

For purposes of this application, a “supplement” or a “nutritionalsupplement” is a vitamin, mineral, neutraceutical, enzyme, includingdigestive enzymes, or other ingestible substance having or promoting ahealth benefit or providing treatment for a particular condition. A“vitamin” is any of various organic substances that are essential inminute quantities to the nutrition of most animals. Vitamins actespecially as coenzymes and precursors of coenzymes in the regulation ofmetabolic processes, but do not provide energy or serve as buildingunits. Vitamins can include, but are not limited to, Vitamin A(Retinol), Vitamin B1 (Thiamine), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3(Niacin), Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine),Vitamin B7 (Biotin), Vitamin B9 (Folic acid), Vitamin B12 (Cobalamins),Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid), Vitamin D (Calciferol), Vitamin E(Tocopherol), and Vitamin K1 (Phylloquinone).

A “mineral” is a chemical element required by living organisms tosupport the biochemical reactions of metabolism, and maintain optimalhealth. These required chemical elements can be are naturally present infood (e.g., calcium in milk), or can be added to food (e.g., iodizedsalt) or included in a dietary supplement. Minerals can include but arenot limited to: potassium, chlorine, sodium, calcium, phosphorus,magnesium, zinc, iron, manganese, copper, iodine, selenium, andmolybdenum.

A “neutraceutical” is a dietary supplement or a fortified food thatprovides health or medical benefits in addition to its basic nutritionalvalue. A “dietary supplement” is a product taken orally that containsone or more nutrients that are intended to supplement one's diet and arenot considered food, specifically according to the Dietary SupplementsHealth and Education Act. A dietary supplement can contain one or morevitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids, herbs or other botanicals, oramino acids, or a concentrate, constituent, metabolite, extract, orcombination of these. Fatty acids can include “essential fatty acids,”which are fatty acids that humans and other animals cannot synthesize,but must obtain in the diet because they are required for certainbiological processes. The two essential fatty acids for humans includealpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) and linoleic acid (anomega-6 fatty acid). Other fatty acids that can be used includegamma-linolenic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid), lauric acid (a saturatedfatty acid), and palmitoleic acid (a monounsaturated fatty acid).

Further, a “supplement” or a “nutritional supplement” generally includessubstances that do not require a prescription. The multi-dosenutritional supplement packages of the subject invention may, however,in some implementations, include pharmacological agents that require aprescription.

The multi-dose nutritional supplement package of the invention maycontain a plurality of unit dosage forms of a nutritional supplementthat meets a nutritional need of the subject. The term “multi-dose” ismeant to be a package containing more than one dose of a nutritionalsupplement. In accordance with the invention, the multi-dose nutritionalsupplement package of the invention may be sold in unit dosage to betaken over a certain period of time, such as a day, week, a monthly or agiven season of the year.

The term “unit dosage form,” and analogous terms as used in thisapplication refers to physically discrete units of a nutritionalsupplement(s) suitable as unitary dosages for human and animal subjects,each unit containing a predetermined quantity of a nutritionalsupplement(s) calculated in an amount sufficient to produce the desiredeffect. The specifications for the unit dosage forms of a givennutritional supplement employed in the practice of the present inventiondepend on, for example, the particular nutritional supplement employedand the effect to be achieved, the pharmacodynamics associated with theparticular nutritional supplement in the subject, etc.

The multi-dose package of the invention is tailored for use over acertain period of time by a certain type of consumer, such as a man,woman, child of a certain age. It is well known that the nutritionalneeds of individuals vary predetermined times depending upon the age andgender of a particular consumer, as well as the consumer's lifestyle.For example, during a given month period, the nutritional needs of bothmen and women vary based upon hormonal changes that are known to occurin both men and women. Further, the nutritional needs of both gendersvary over the course of year depending upon the season and the exposureto sunlight, for example, which may vary by the physical location of theindividual consumers (i.e., regions of the country or the world) butalso by the local diet of the consumers. Further, sedentary individualsrequire different types of supplements than active or highly athleticconsumer.

By “tailored,” it is meant that the package is specifically configuredto meet one or more specific requests of a target consumer, or to meetone or more specific nutritional needs of a consumer. The tailoredmulti-dose package can contain unit dosage forms in the appropriatenumber, in the appropriate dosage(s), and in the appropriate packaging(e.g., daily, monthly packaging, weekly packaging, etc.) for meeting aspecific request, a specific nutritional need, or an anticipatednutritional need of a particular subject or target consumer. Parametersthat can be used to determine the appropriate dosages for a particularsubject can include, in addition the recommended dosages of anutritional supplement, the subject's age, height, weight, gender, bodymass index (BMI), known medical conditions, location of residence, timeof the year, local diet, lifestyles and activity levels.

The appropriate dosage of a nutritional supplement in some instances canbe more or in some instances can be less than the “recommended”guidelines, e.g., as published by the FDA, depending upon theparameters. An “effective amount” of a nutritional supplement, or anamount effective for meeting a subject's nutritional needs ornutritional requests may vary somewhat from subject to subject, and maydepend upon factors such as, but not limited to, the age of the subject,the health of the subject, the medical conditions of the subject, theform of the nutritional supplement, the route and method of delivery,etc.

By way of example, a multi-dose package of the invention may be tailoredfor use by a menstruating woman to be taken over a 28 day period,commencing on the first day of her menses cycle. By way of example only,the dosages of the multi-dose package of may appear as follows, varyingin the amount of dosages of each supplement, as illustrated below:

DAY SUPPLEMENT DOSAGE 1 Ca 1200 mg; manganese 5 mg; Mg 300 mg; B6 40 mg;E 400IU; Other 2 Ca 1200 mg; manganese 5 mg; Mg 300 mg; B6 40 mg; E400IU; Other 3 Ca 1200 mg; manganese 5 mg; Mg 300 mg; B6 40 mg; E 400IU;Other 4 Ca 500 mg; manganese 2 mg; Mg 50 mg; B6 20 mg; E 100 IU; Other 5Ca 500 mg; manganese 2 mg; Mg 50 mg; B6 4 mg; E 30 IU; Other 6 Ca 500mg; manganese 2 mg; Mg 50 mg; B6 4 mg; E 30 IU; Other 7 Ca 500 mg;manganese 2 mg; Mg 50 mg; B6 4 mg; E 30 IU; Other 8 Ca 500 mg; manganese2 mg; Mg 50 mg; B6 4 mg; E 30 IU; Other 9 Ca 500 mg; manganese 2 mg; Mg50 mg; B6 4 mg; E 30 IU; Other 10 Ca 500 mg; manganese 2 mg; Mg 50 mg;B6 4 mg; E 30 IU; Other 11 Ca 500 mg; manganese 2 mg; Mg 50 mg; B6 4 mg;E 30 IU; Other 12 Ca 500 mg; manganese 2 mg; Mg 50 mg; B6 4 mg; E 30 IU;Other 13 Ca 500 mg; manganese 2 mg; Mg 50 mg; B6 4 mg; Other 14 Ca 500mg; manganese 2 mg; Mg 50 mg; B6 4 mg; E 30 IU; Other 15 Ca 500 mg;manganese 2 mg; Mg 50 mg; B6 4 mg; E 30 IU; Other 16 Ca 500 mg;manganese 2 mg; Mg 50 mg; B6 4 mg; E 30 IU; Other 17 Ca 500 mg;manganese 2 mg; Mg 50 mg; B6 4 mg; E 30 IU; Other 18 Ca 500 mg;manganese 2 mg; Mg 50 mg; B6 4 mg; E 30 IU; Other 19 Ca 500 mg;manganese 2 mg; Mg 50 mg; B6 4 mg; E 30 IU; Other 20 Ca 500 mg;manganese 2 mg; Mg 50 mg; B6 4 mg; E 30 IU; Other 21 Ca 500 mg;manganese 2 mg; Mg 50 mg; B6 4 mg; E 30 IU; Other 22 Ca 500 mg;manganese 2 mg; Mg 50 mg; B6 4 mg; E 30 IU; Other 23 Ca 500 mg;manganese 2 mg; Mg 50 mg; B6 4 mg; E 30 IU; Other 24 Ca 750 mg;manganese 3 mg; Mg 100 mg; B6 4 mg; E 30 IU; Other 25 Ca 1000 mg;manganese 4 mg; Mg 200 mg; B6 4 mg; E 30 IU; Other 26 Ca 1000 mg;manganese 4 mg; Mg 200 mg; B6 20 mg; E 100 IU; Other 27 Ca 1200 mg;manganese 5 mg; Mg 300 mg; B6 40 mg; E 400IU; Other 28 Ca 1200 mg;manganese 5 mg; Mg 300 mg; B6 40 mg; E 400IU; Other

By way of example only, “other” may include constant or varying dosagesof any of the following: Vitamin A, C, D, and K, Thiamin (B1),Riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), Folic Acid, B12, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid,Iron, Phosphorus, Iodine, Zinc, Selenium, Cooper, Chromium, Molybdenum,Sodium, Chloride, Potassium, Boron, Nickel, Silicon, Tin and Vanadium.

By way of example, the “other” may include constant dosages in theamounts set for below for each supplement:

DOSAGE PER STANDARD SUPPLEMENT SERVING A 2500 IU C 60 MG D 1000 IU K 25MCG Thiamin (B1) 1.5 MG Riboflavin (B2) 1.7 MG Niacin (B3) 10 MG FolicAcid 400 MCG B12 6 MCG Biotin 300 MCG Pantothenic 10 MG Iron 18 MGPhosphorus 20 MG Iodine 150 MCG Zinc 15 MG Selenium 55 MCG Copper 2 MGChromium 120 MCG Molybdenum 75 MCG Chloride 72 mg Potassium 80 mg Boron75 MCG Nickel 5 MCG Silicon 2 MG Tin 10 MCG Vanadium 10 MCG

As illustrated in the above example, the multi-dose package may containone or more supplements to be taken each day. The package will containat least a first unit dosage of a nutritional supplement and a secondunit dosage of the nutritional supplement, where the amount of thenutritional supplement in the first unit dosage differs from the amountof the nutritional supplement in the second unit dosage. In someimplementations, the package can include a third, fourth, fifth, etc.different dosage of a nutritional supplement. In some implementations,each unit dosage in a package could be different.

For example, in a monthly package consisting of 30 days, every unitdosage of the nutritional supplement could be different, such that themonthly package contained 30 different unit dosages, with a differentunit dosage for each day. The ratio of the difference between the firstunit dosage of a nutritional supplement and a second unit dosage of thenutritional supplement can be any suitable ratio, such as a ratio offrom 1:1.1 to 1:1,000, including from 1:2 to 1:10, such as from 1:3 to1:5.

The package can also include two or more nutritional supplements. Insome implementations, the first nutritional supplement dosage and thesecond nutritional supplement dosage are formed as separate units (e.g.,are in two different pills); in other implementations one or morenutritional supplement dosages can be combined into a single unit orpill.

Multiple dosage units of one or more nutritional supplements may bepackaged in a single container, e.g., a single blister pack, tube,bottle, vial, container, and the like, or one or more dosage units ortypes of dosage units may be individually packaged and/or individuallylabeled such that certain packages may have more than one container of anutritional supplement or of different nutritional supplements. Forexample, a monthly package of nutritional supplements may be packaged incontainer with separate sections for each week, and/or separate sectionsfor different nutritional supplements, i.e., a monthly package can have30 unit dosages, with each unit dosage contained in a separate moldedcompartment, or blister pack. A seasonal package, for example, can bepackaged in a tube with a separate section for each week, or month, etc.Indicia may be further included on or in connection with each unitdosage indicating when, during the predetermined period of time, eachsupplement should be taken. The unit dosages may be marked by color, bynumber, or any other means to indicate to a consumer when a particularsupplement dosage should be taken.

Implementations of the multi-dose nutritional supplement package caninclude multi-dose packages formed for any suitable period of time, suchas a daily package, a weekly package, a monthly package, a seasonalpackage, a 3-month or 90 day package, a yearly package, etc.

By “season,” it is meant a time of year such as winter, spring, summeror fall. A season of the year can therefore be defined by months of theyear (e.g., the winter months can include December, January, andFebruary; the spring can include March, April and May; the summer caninclude June, July, August; and the fall can include September, October,November). The definition of season is not so limited, however, asconditions typical of a particular season can obviously vary accordingto the geographic location of a subject (e.g., the winter months areprolonged in the northern regions of the northern hemispheres, and thewinter occurs in the “summer” months in the southern hemisphere, etc.)Seasons can be defined by variations in the environment such as theaverage, minimum or maximum ambient temperature, humidity, barometricpressure, the presence or absence of allergens (e.g., pollen) in theair, mold count, air quality, the average amount of available sunlightor the time of sunrise or sunset, the amount of precipitation, etc. Insome implementations, the onset, duration, and termination of a seasoncan be defined by variables that include changes in indoor environments(e.g., inside homes or office buildings), such as changes in humidity,temperature, allergens present in the air, degree of air filtration,etc. Seasons can in other implementations be defined by variations inbehavior of a subject, such as variations in the amount of time spentindoors or outdoors, variations in activity level, diet, etc. The onset,duration, and termination of a season can also be defined by measuredchanges in physiological parameters of a subject, such as but notlimited to changes in hormone levels, changes in mood, changes in bloodpressure, etc. In some implementations, a season can be defined simplyby the period of time in which a subject is noted to have or issuspected to have an exacerbation of a condition.

A multi-dose nutritional supplement package of the subject invention caninclude daily discrete unit or continuous unit doses wherein the totalnumber of daily units present in the package may be equal to the totalnumber of days, or a multiple thereof, in implementations in which morethan one nutritional supplement is being administered. For example, aseasonal package may include from 30 to 540 doses, such as from 60 to180 doses, or 90 to 120 doses (FIG. 1A). The package may have daily unitdoses in the form of oral dosage forms such as tablets, capsules, andthe like. In some implementations, a seasonal package can includediscrete or continuous unit doses in the form of a transdermal patch, oran injectable dose for parenteral administration, which can have, forexample, dosage units which are effective for one or more days, such asfor a week, or a month, or more.

The number of unit dosages in a package will vary depending number ofdays a package is intended to be used, and will vary depending on thenumber of unit dosages to be administered per day. For example, amulti-dose nutritional supplement package of the subject invention canbe a monthly package that includes daily discrete or continuous unitdoses wherein the total number of daily units present in the monthlypackage may be equal to the total number of days in the month, or amultiple thereof, in implementations in which more than one nutritionalsupplement is being administered. For example, a monthly package mayinclude from 30 to 210 doses, such as from 60 to 180 doses, or 90 to 120doses. The package may include, for example daily unit doses in the formof tablets, capsules and the like. In some implementations, a monthlypackage can include discrete or continuous unit doses in the form of atransdermal patch, or an injectable dose, which can have, for example,dosage units which are effective for one or more days, such as for aweek, or two weeks, or a month, or more.

Implementations may include daily discrete or continuous unit doseswherein the total number of daily units may be equal to the total numberof days in a given period of time, e.g., a month, 3 months, a givenseason, a year, and the like, in the form of a package. For example,implementations may include daily discrete or continuous unit doseswherein the total number of daily units may be equal to the total numberof days of a season in a year, e.g., in the form of a seasonal package.Such a seasonal package may include a plurality of unit dosage formshaving the same or different dosages of a nutritional supplement. Forexample, implementations may include a monthly nutritional supplementpackage wherein the dosage of nutritional supplement of certain unitdosage forms of the package to be administered to a subject throughoutthe year.

A multi-dose nutritional supplement package can have any suitable shape,e.g., a rectangular or square box, a cylindrical tube, a rectangle,square, or circular blister package, etc. In some implementations, thepackages can be formed as a single unit (e.g., one monthly or seasonalpack), organized in sections (e.g., by week, or month, etc.). Forexample, a monthly or seasonal package can be manufactured as a singleunit blister pack with individual months separated by lines, by color,by perforations, etc. A yearly or seasonal package can also be a seriesof tubes or vials which are connected, such that the package can bemanufactured as a single unit. The individual vials can be separated bytabs or links that can be cut as needed. In some implementations, amulti-dose package or can be a series of blister packs, for example,attached by a hinge, etc, or on a detachable ring such that a subjectcan discard one month's card when the dosages have all beenadministered. In some implementations, the multi-dose package can have abase to fit a card, e.g., a monthly card, with a flip-top cover. In thisimplementation, a user can discard one month's card when the dosageshave all been administered and replace it with a new card fitted intothe base.

Implementations of the nutritional supplement package can also beenclosed in an outer case of any suitable shape, such as circular,rectangular, square, cylindrical, etc. In some implementations the casecan be unitary, i.e., made of a single piece of material. In otherimplementations a case may be made of more than one separate piece(e.g., a base and a cover). In some implementations, the cover can beattached in any suitable manner such as with a hinge, or snap closure,etc. The case or cover can be made with any suitable material (e.g.,plastic).

In some implementations, a kit can be provided which may include aholder for an individual blister pack, or individual tube, i.e., ablister pack containing medication for a particular month. The holdercan be made of any suitable material for holding a portion of a seasonalor yearly pack, e.g., a rectangular holder configured to hold a monthlyblister pack in the shape of a rectangle.

The packages can further be demarcated or labeled to identify the monthin which the medication is to be taken, the particular day of the month,the day of the week, time of day, etc. In addition, the packages mayhave one or more lines or circles indicating the one or more dosages tobe taken in a given day, e.g., on some days a subject may take only onemedication, and on other days, a subject may take more than onemedication. In some implementations, the packages can be color-coded,such that the dose for a particular day or time of day, or week, can beeasily determined. For example, a blister package with multiple weekscan have alternating rows of two different colors to allow a subject toreadily distinguish one week from another. In another example, aseasonal package may have weeks where the subject takes only onemedication, and weeks where two medications are to be taken, and theseweeks can be distinguished by printing the background of the package intwo different colors to allow a subject to readily distinguish the daysand weeks where two medications are to be taken. Multiple variations arepossible depending on the complexity of the dosing schedule and numberof nutritional supplements to be taken.

Examples of single dosage packages that may be sold in differentpredetermined amounts are illustrated in FIGS. 1-4. FIGS. 1-4 provideonly examples of unit dosages packaged to be taken over a predeterminedperiod of time. The illustrations are not intended to limit the dailydosages to a single dose or single supplement, nor are the figuresintended to limit the predetermined time periods over which the dosagesare to be taken to those time periods illustrated in the figures.Further, the illustrations offer various optional examples of indiciathat may be included on the physical supplements to indicate when thepills are to be taken. The indicia may, for example, include colorcoding, numbering or indication as to a day of the week. The colorcoding may indicate changes in dose amounts or a certain time when agiven supplement should be taken over the predetermined period.

In particular, FIG. 1 illustrates one example of a weekly multi-dosepackage 100 of the invention. The weekly multi-dose package 100 asillustrated in FIG. 1 shows seven unit dosages 102, one to be taken oneach day of the week. The seven unit dosages 102 may be optionallymarked by numbers 1 through 7, illustrating which pills should be takenon which day of the week.

FIG. 2 illustrates another example of a weekly multi-dose package 200 ofthe multi-dose nutritional supplement 202 of the invention. Asillustrated in FIG. 2, each dose 202 may be marked with the day of theweek for which the respective pill 202 is to be taken. Optionally, thedoses or pills 202 may be color-coded to indicate which day to take inparticular pill 202 or in which order to take the pills 202. In theillustrated example, the doses 202 are coded by the colors of therainbow, in which case the user may start with the first color and endwith the last color in the series.

FIG. 3 illustrates one example of a 28-day multi-dose package 300 of theinvention. The example of FIG. 3 illustrates four rows 302, 304, 306 and308 of pills 302, each row including a week's dose of supplements. Inthe illustrated example, the target consumer may be a woman and thesupplements may be designed to be taken in accordance with her menstrualcycle. The variations in the colors of the pills 302 may illustratedifferent dosages to be taken at different times. The pills 302 may befurther marked with indicia such as color coding, numbers, or days ofthe week to indicate on what day a particular pill is intended to betaken during the 28-day pre-determined period.

FIG. 4 illustrates one example of six month multi-dose package 402 ofthe invention. The example may include any number of months 412 and may,in one implementation, be designed to respond to seasonal changes. Themonths 412 may be perforated around the side edges 420 and the bottomedges 430 so that the individual months may be broken away from theother months 412. As illustrated, the months 412 may contain multiplerows 404, 406, 408, 410 of pills 402 to be taken during each day of themonth 412. Optionally, the pills may be color-coded to indicate when thepills 402 are to be taken during the month or to indicate pills ofdifferent dosage amounts. The pills 402 may also be numbered or may bemarked with indicators as to the day upon which each pill 402 is to betaken.

Depending on the particular nutritional supplement administered to asubject, the nutritional supplement may be incorporated into a varietyof formulations for administration. The above example represents onlyone example of a nutritional supplement that may be administered to asubject. The supplement and types of formulations may vary greatly basedupon the target consumer and the specific nutritional needs thesupplements are intended to address. For example, the exampleformulation above could administer additional iron during menstruation.If the supplement is designed to be taken in the winter months, theamount of vitamin D may further vary. Alternatively, the supplement maybe further designed to additionally promote colon health, in which case,the supplement could include probiotics. While some nutritionalsupplements may be tailored for specific medical needs of a targetconsumer, the nutritional supplements of the invention may be designedfor regular and continuous use by health consumers that desire toaccommodate the known varying nutritional needs of individuals basedupon gender, age, and common and/or naturally reoccurring physiologicalchanges that occur over time based upon hormonal cycles, predeterminedtime periods, seasonal changes, diet and health and activity levels ofcertain subjects.

The nutritional supplement may be formulated into compositions bycombination with appropriate, pharmaceutically acceptable carriers. By“pharmaceutically acceptable carrier” is meant a component such as acarrier, diluent, excipient, and the like of a composition that iscompatible with the particular nutritional supplement and other optionalingredients of the subject nutritional supplement compositions in that apharmaceutically acceptable carrier may be combined with the nutritionalsupplement without eliminating the biological or therapeuticallyeffective activity of the nutritional supplement, and is suitable foruse in subjects as provided in this application without undue adverseside effects (such as toxicity, irritation, allergic response, anddeath). Side effects are “undue” when their risk outweighs the benefitprovided by the nutritional supplement. Non-limiting examples ofpharmaceutically acceptable components include, but are not limited to,any of the standard pharmaceutical carriers such as phosphate bufferedsaline solutions, water, emulsions such as oil/water emulsions orwater/oil emulsions, microemulsions, and various types of wettingagents. Accordingly, the nutritional supplement employed in the subjectmethods may be formulated into preparations in solid, semi-solid (e.g.,gel), or liquid forms, such as tablets, capsules, powders, granules,solutions. As such, administration of a nutritional supplement may beachieved in various ways, including, but not limited to, oral, buccal(e.g. sub-lingual), topical, or transdermal administration. In certainimplementations, a given nutritional supplement may be administered viaa transdermal patch or film system such as or analogous to thatdescribed, e.g., in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,503,532; 5,302,395; 5,262,165;5,248,501; 5,232,702; 5,230,896; 5,227,169; 5,212,199; 5,202,125;5,173,302; 5,154,922; 5,139,786; 5,122,383; 5,023,252; 4,978,532;5,324,521; 5,306,503; 5,302,395; 5,296,230; 5,286,491; 5,252,334;5,248,501; 5,230,896; 5,227,169; 5,212,199; 5,202,125; 5,173,302;5,171,576; 5,139,786; 5,133,972; 5,122,383; 5,120,546; 5,118,509;5,077,054; 5,066,494; 5,049,387; 5,028,435; 5,023,252; 5,000,956;4,911,916; 4,898,734; 4,883,669; 4,882,377; 4,840,796; 4,818,540;4,814,173; 4,806,341; 4,789,547; 4,786,277; 4,702,732; 4,690,683;4,627,429; and 4,585,452, the disclosures of which are hereinincorporated by reference.

As noted above, implementations may include formulations for oraladministration that may be formulated using pharmaceutically acceptablecarriers well known in the art in dosages suitable for oraladministration. Such carriers enable the pharmaceutical formulations tobe formulated in unit dosage forms as tablets, pills, powder, dragees,capsules, liquids, lozenges, gels, syrups, slurries, suspensions, etc.,suitable for ingestion by the patient. Pharmaceutical preparations fororal use may be obtained through combination of at least one nutritionalsupplement with a solid excipient, optionally grinding a resultingmixture, and processing the mixture of granules, after adding suitableadditional compounds, if desired, to obtain tablets or dragee cores.Suitable solid excipients include, but are not limited to, carbohydrateor protein fillers and include, but are not limited to sugars, includinglactose, sucrose, mannitol, or sorbitol; starch from corn, wheat, rice,potato, or other plants; cellulose such as methyl cellulose,hydroxypropylmethyl-cellulose or sodium carboxymethylcellulose; and gumsincluding arabic and tragacanth; as well as proteins such as gelatin andcollagen. If desired, disintegrating or solubilizing agents may beadded, such as the cross-linked polyvinyl pyrrolidone, agar, alginicacid, or a salt thereof, such as sodium alginate; with optionallubricants, such as talc or magnesium stearate; and if desired, withdiluents, buffering agents, moistening agents, preservatives andflavoring agents.

Accordingly, formulations suitable for oral administration in accordancewith the subject invention may be present in discrete units, such ascapsules, cachets, lozenges, tablets, and the like, each containing apredetermined amount of the nutritional supplement; as a powder orgranules; as a solution or a suspension in a nutritional supplementformulation that may be prepared by any suitable method of pharmacywhich includes, but is not limited to, bringing into association thenutritional supplement and a suitable carrier (which may contain one ormore optional ingredients as noted above). For example, nutritionalsupplement formulations for use with the subject invention may beprepared by uniformly and intimately admixing the nutritional supplementwith a liquid or finely divided solid carrier, or both, and then, ifnecessary, shaping the resulting mixture. For example, a tablet may beprepared by compressing or molding a powder or granules containing thenutritional supplement, optionally with one or more accessoryingredients. Compressed tablets may be prepared by compressing, in asuitable machine, the nutritional supplement in a free-flowing form,such as a powder or granules optionally mixed with a binder, lubricant,inert diluent, and/or surface active/dispersing agent(s). Molded tabletsmay be made by molding, in a suitable machine, the powdered nutritionalsupplement moistened with an inert liquid binder.

A nutritional supplement employed in the subject invention may bedelivered transdermally, by a topical route, formulated as applicatorsticks, solutions, suspensions, emulsions, gels, creams, ointments,pastes, jellies, paints, powders, and aerosols. For example,implementations may include a nutritional supplement in the form of adiscrete patch or film or plaster or the like adapted to remain inintimate contact with the epidermis of the recipient for a period oftime. For example, such transdermal patches may include a base or matrixlayer, e.g., polymeric layer, in which one or more nutritionalsupplements are retained. The base or matrix layer may be operativelyassociated with a support or backing. Nutritional supplementformulations suitable for transdermal administration may also bedelivered by iontophoresis and may take the form of an optionallybuffered aqueous solution of the nutritional supplement compound.Suitable formulations may include citrate or bis/tris buffer (pH 6) orethanol/water and contain a suitable amount of active ingredient.

The multi-dose packages of the invention find use in a variety ofapplications in which it is desired to meet the nutritional needs of asubject. By “nutritional need,” it is meant a subject's need for aparticular nutrient, usually obtained from food, such as a vitamin,‘mineral’, amino acid, etc., which is necessary to maintain good health.In some instances, the subject is a healthy subject. In some instances,the subject can have a deficiency of an essential nutrient, such as avitamin. For example, a vitamin deficiency can be either ‘primary’ or‘secondary’. A primary deficiency occurs when an insufficient amount ofa vitamin is present in the diet. A secondary deficiency can be due toan underlying condition that prevents or limits the absorption or use ofthe vitamin. This can include smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, orother medications that interfere with the absorption or use of thevitamin.

In some instances, the subject can have a need for a particular nutrientwhich varies over time. There are various natural and reoccurringconditions in which the nutritional requirements of a subject can changeover time (e.g., monthly cycles in a female, varying nutritional needsof elderly subjects, athletes, nutritional needs in responses to seasonchanges, etc.). In some implementations, the subject can have acondition which increases in severity or occurrence during a season ofthe year. Such conditions can include, for example, seasonal variationin the incidence of allergies, seasonal variation in gastroesophagealreflux disease (GERD) and duodenal ulcers, seasonal variation invariceal bleeding, seasonal variation in the incidence of urolithiasis,seasonal variation in the incidence of hip fractures, seasonal variationin fertility rates, seasonal variation in the incidence of eclampsia,seasonal variation in blood pressure in hypertensive patients, seasonalvariation in blood pressure in CAPD (continuous ambulatory peritonealdialysis) patients, seasonal variation in coronary artery disease andincidence of first hospitalization for myocardial infarction, seasonalvariation in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, seasonal variation inasthma, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), seasonal variation in suiciderates, seasonal variation in vitamin D levels, seasonal variation inhyponatremia, seasonal variation in retinal vein occlusion, seasonalvariation in neonatal death rates, seasonal variation in the incidenceof congenital hypothyroidism, and seasonal variation in the onset ofstage I sarcoidosis. The subject packages, systems, and methods can beused to treat any suitable condition that is known to be or is at leastsuspected of being exacerbated during at least one season of the year.

Subjects with conditions that have nutritional needs that can beaddressed with the multi-dose packages of the subject invention can alsoinclude: cardiovascular conditions; neurodegenerative conditions;neuroinflammatory conditions; orthopedic inflammatory conditions;lymphoproliferative conditions; autoimmune conditions; inflammatoryconditions; infectious diseases; pulmonary conditions;transplant-related conditions; gastrointestinal conditions; endocrineconditions (e.g., diabetes); genitourinary conditions; skin conditions;aging conditions; neurologic conditions; Th-2 dominant conditions;conditions that cause hypoxia; conditions that cause hypercarbia;conditions that cause hypercapnia; conditions that cause acidosis;conditions that cause acidemia; OB-GYN conditions; sudden deathsyndromes; menstrual related disorders; fibrosis; chronic pain; trauma;bacterial infections; and fibromyalgia.

The subject packages, systems, and methods can be used in someimplementations by subjects with a variety of different conditions,including, but not limited to, cardiovascular conditions includingcardiovascular disease, e.g., atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease,hypertension, hyperlipidemia, cardiomyopathy, volume retention,congestive heart failure, QT interval prolongation, aortic dissection,aortic aneurysm, arterial aneurysm, arterial vasospasm, myocardialinfarction, reperfusion syndrome, ischemia, sudden adult death syndrome,arrhythmia, fatal arrythmias, coronary syndromes, coronary vasospasm,sick sinus syndrome, bradycardia, tachycardia, thromboembolic disease,deep vein thrombosis, coagulopathy, disseminated intravascularcoagulation (“DIC”), mesenteric ischemia, syncope, venous thrombosis,arterial thrombosis, malignant hypertension, secondary hypertension,primary pulmonary hypertension, secondary pulmonary hypertension,Raynaud's, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, and the like;neurodegenerative conditions including neurodegenerative diseases, e.g.,Alzheimer's Disease, Pick's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, dementia,delirium, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and the like; neuroinflammatoryconditions including neuroinflammatory diseases, e.g., viral meningitis,viral encephalitis, fungal meningitis, fungal encephalitis, multiplesclerosis, Charcot joint, schizophrenia, myasthenia gravis, and thelike; orthopedic inflammatory conditions including orthopedicinflammatory diseases, e.g., osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis,regional idiopathic osteoporosis, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, Paget'sdisease, osteoporosis, antigen-induced arthritis, juvenile chronicarthritis, and the like; lymphoproliferative conditions includinglymphoproliferative diseases, e.g., lymphoma, lymphoproliferativedisease, Hodgkin's disease, inflammatory pseudomotor of the liver, andthe like; autoimmune conditions including automimmune diseases, e.g.,Graves disease, Raynaud's, Hashimoto's, Takayasu's disease, Kawasaki'sdiseases, arteritis, scleroderma, CREST syndrome, allergies, dermatitis,Henoch-schlonlein purpura, goodpasture syndrome, autoimmune thyroiditis,myasthenia gravis, Reiter's disease, lupus, and the like; inflammatoryconditions, e.g., acute respiratory distress syndrome (“ARDS”), multiplesclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, juvenilechronic arthritis, migraines, chronic headaches, and the like;infectious diseases, e.g., sepsis, viral and fungal infections, diseasesof wound healing, wound healing, tuberculosis, infection, AIDS, humanimmunodeficiency virus, and the like; pulmonary conditions includingpulmonary diseases, e.g., tachypnea, fibrotic lung diseases such ascystic fibrosis and the like, interstitial lung disease, desquamativeinterstitial pneumonitis, non-specific interstitial pneumonitis,lymphocytic interstitial pneumonitis, usual interstitial pneumonitis,idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary edema, aspiration,asphyxiation, pneumothorax, right-to-left shunts, left-to-right shunts,respiratory failure, and the like; transplant-related conditions such astransplant related side effects such as transplant rejection,transplant-related tachycardia, transplant related renal failure,transplant related bowel dysmotility, transplant-related hyperreninemia,and the like; gastrointestinal conditions including gastrointestinaldiseases, e.g., hepatitis, xerostomia, bowel mobility, peptic ulcerdisease, constipation, ileus, irritable bowel syndrome, post-operativebowel dysmotility, inflammatory bowel disease, typhilitis,cholelethiasis, cholestasis, fecal incontinence, cyclic vomitingsyndrome, and the like; endocrine conditions including endocrinediseases, e.g., hypothyroidism, hyperglycemia, diabetes, obesity,syndrome X, insulin resistance, polycystic ovarian syndrome (“PCOS”),and the like; genitourinary conditions including genitourinary diseases,e.g., bladder dysfunction, renal failure, hyperreninemia, hepatorenalsyndrome, pulmonary renal syndrome, incontinence, arousal disorder,menopausal mood disorder, premenstrual mood disorder, renal tubularacidosis, pulmonary renal syndrome, and the like; skin conditionsincluding skin diseases, e.g., wrinkles, cutaneous vasculitis,psoriasis, and the like; aging associated conditions including agingassociated diseases, e.g., Shy Dragers, multi-system atrophy, agerelated inflammation conditions, cancer, aging, and the like; neurologicconditions including neurologic or psychiatric diseases such asepilepsy, depression, schizophrenia, seizures, stroke, insomnia,cerebral vascular accident, transient ischemic attacks, stress, bipolardisorder, concussions, post-concussive syndrome, cerebral vascularvasospasm, central sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea, sleepdisorders, headaches including chronic headaches, migraines, acutedisseminated encephalomyelitis (“ADEM”), and the like; Th-2 dominantconditions including Th-2 dominant diseases, e.g., typhilitis,osteoporosis, lymphoma, myasthenia gravis, lupus, and the like;conditions, including diseases, that cause hypoxia, hypercarbia,hypercapnia, acidosis, acidemia, e.g., ventilation/perfusion (V/Q)mismatch, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (“COPD”), emphysema, anychronic lung disease that causes acidosis, acute pulmonary embolism,sudden adult death syndrome (“SADS”), chronic pulmonary embolism,pleural effusion, cardiogenic pulmonary edema, non-cardiogenic pulmonaryedema, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), neurogenic edema,hypercapnia, acidemia, asthma, renal tubular acidosis, asthma, acidosis,chronic lung diseases that cause hypoxia, hypercarbia or hypercapnia,and the like; OB-GYN conditions including OB-GYN diseases, e.g.,amniotic fluid embolism, menopausal mood disorders, premenstrual mooddisorders, cervical incompetence, fetal distress, premenstrual syndrome,dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, fertility and subfertility conditions suchas infertility, early pregnancy loss, spontaneous abortion, failure ofimplantation, amenorrhea, luteal insufficiency, and the like; suddendeath syndromes, e.g., sudden adult death syndrome, and the like;menstrual related disorders, e.g., pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea,gastrointestinal disease, nausea, and the like; chronic pain; glaucoma;disorders of thermoregulation; fibromyalgia; and the like.

The multi-dose nutritional supplement packages tailored for a particularsubject are particularly useful in avoiding consequences of inadequatenutrition, e.g., insufficient amounts of vitamins. For example,consequences of insufficient amounts of vitamins include xerophthalmiaor night blindness with vitamin A deficiency, beriberi caused bythiamine deficiency, pellagra caused by niacin deficiency, megaloblasticanemia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency, scurvy caused by vitamin Cdeficiency, rickets caused by vitamin D deficiency, and impairedcoagulation caused by vitamin K deficiency.

Furthermore, the tailored multi-dose nutritional supplement packages canavoid the problem of doses that are too large, as some vitamins,especially the fat-soluble vitamins, have documented side-effects thattend to be more severe with a large dosage. At high enough dosages, somevitamins cause side-effects such as nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. Anappropriate dose of a vitamin for a particular subject can vary, and canin some instances be related to factors such as age and health status.

While many of the implementations may be manufactured and sold asprepackaged vitamins tailored for consumption by a particular targetconsumer for general health reasons or tailored to address specificsupplemental needs in response to particular conditions or deficiencies,a system may be employed for custom ordering, fabrication and use of themulti-dose nutritional supplement packages of the subject invention.

Methods of using the multi-dose nutritional supplement packages by auser can include selecting one of a plurality of unit dosage forms of anutritional supplement contained in the multi-dose package comprising afirst unit dosage of a nutritional supplement and a second unit dosageof the nutritional supplement, wherein the amount of the nutritionalsupplement in the first unit dosage differs from the amount of thenutritional supplement in the second unit dosage, and ingesting thefirst unit dosage form. In some implementations, the methods furtherinclude selecting the second unit dosage form from the multi-dosepackage and ingesting the second unit dosage form. The methods can insome implementations include selecting and ingesting a third, fourth,fifth, etc., unit dosage form of a first nutritional supplement andingesting the first nutritional supplement. The methods can also in someimplementations include selecting and ingesting one or more unit dosageforms of a second nutritional supplement and ingesting the secondnutritional supplement.

In some instances the nutritional supplement is a vitamin; in otherinstances the nutritional supplement is a nutraceutical, and in someinstances the multi-dose nutritional supplement package can consist ofboth one or more vitamins, and one or more nutraceuticals.

In some implementations, more than one nutritional supplement may beadministered at the same or different time as another nutritionalsupplement, where the nutritional supplements administered differ in oneor more respects, e.g., may be different types of agents or may be thesame type nutritional supplement but that differ in mode ofadministration, dosage, etc.

As discussed above, an effective amount of a given nutritionalsupplement may vary somewhat from subject to subject, and may dependupon factors such as, but not limited to, the age of the subject, thehealth of the subject, the particular condition being treated, the formof the nutritional supplement, the route and method of delivery, etc.,as noted above. Such dosages may be determined in accordance withroutine nutritional supplement procedures known to those skilled in theart. Nutritional supplements may be administered to a subject in asingle oral dose, one time a day or more for weeks, months, years, evenas long as a subject's lifetime or as long as the subject experiencesthe nutritional need. For example, an implementation may includeadministering a given nutritional supplement one time a day over aprolonged period of time, e.g., over a particular time period e.g., upto 1 month, or 2 months, or 3 months, or 9 months, or a year.

The frequency of administration of a nutritional supplement may varydepending on one or more of the factors described above. For example,the frequency of administration of a nutritional supplement may rangefrom 1 time per day to multiple times per day, e.g., 2 times or more perday or as necessary to meet the nutritional needs or nutritionalrequests of the subject.

All publications and patent applications cited in this specification areincorporated by reference as if each individual publication or patentapplication were specifically and individually indicated to beincorporated by reference. The citation of any publication is for itsdisclosure prior to the filing date and should not be construed as anadmission that the present invention is not entitled to antedate suchpublication by virtue of prior invention.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail byway of illustration and example for purposes of clarity ofunderstanding, it is readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in theart in light of the teachings of this invention that certain changes andmodifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit orscope of the appended claims.

Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that eachintervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unlessthe context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lowerlimit of that range and any other stated or intervening value in thatstated range is encompassed within the invention. The upper and lowerlimits of these smaller ranges may independently be included in thesmaller ranges is also encompassed within the invention, subject to anyspecifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the stated rangeincludes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either or both ofthose included limits are also included in the invention.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods andmaterials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also beused in the practice or testing of the present invention, the preferredmethods and materials are now described. All publications mentionedherein are incorporated herein by reference to disclose and describe themethods and/or materials in connection with which the publications arecited.

As will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading thisdisclosure, each of the individual implementations described andillustrated herein has discrete components and features which may bereadily separated from or combined with the features of any of the otherseveral implementations without departing from the scope or spirit ofthe present invention.

1. A multi-dose package of nutritional supplements designed for regularand continuous consumption by a specific target consumer over aregularly re-occurring predetermined period of time, the multi-dosepackage of supplements comprising: a series of supplements to be takenby the target consumer over the predetermined period of time, wherebyeach supplement in the series is to be taken at a particular time duringthe predetermined period of time and where each supplement in the seriesis tailored to contain unit dosages of nutritional supplements thatcorrespond to the nutritional needs of the target consumer for suchparticular time during which the supplement is to be digested by thetarget consumer; and where at least one supplement in the series to betaken at a first particular time contains different dosages ofnutritional supplements than at least one other supplement in the seriesto be taken at a second particular period of time.
 2. The multi-dosepackage of claim 1 where the re-occurring predetermined period of timeis a day.
 3. The multi-dose package of claim 1 where the re-occurringpredetermined period of time is a week.
 4. The multi-dose package ofclaim 1 where the re-occurring predetermined period of time is a28-days.
 5. The multi-dose package of claim 1 where the re-occurringpredetermined period of time is a month.
 6. The multi-dose package ofclaim 1 where the re-occurring predetermined period of time is a season.7. The multi-dose package of claim 1 where the re-occurringpredetermined period of time is a year.
 8. The multi-dose package ofclaim 1 where the specific target consumer is a female.
 9. Themulti-dose package of claim 1 where the specific target consumer is amale.
 10. The multi-dose package of claim 1 where the supplementsinclude indicia indicating when each supplement should be taken over thepredetermined period of time.
 11. A multi-dose package of multi-vitaminsdesigned for consumption by a specific target consumer over apredetermined period of time, the multi-dose package of multi-vitaminscomprising a series of supplements to be taken by the target consumerover the predetermined period of time where at least one supplement inthe series to be taken at a first particular time contains differentdosages of nutritional supplements than at least one other supplement inthe series to be taken at a second particular period of time.
 12. Themulti-dose package of claim 11 where the re-occurring predeterminedperiod of time is a week.
 13. The multi-dose package of claim 11 wherethe re-occurring predetermined period of time is a week.
 14. Themulti-dose package of claim 11 where the re-occurring predeterminedperiod of time is twenty-days.
 15. The multi-dose package of claim 11where the re-occurring predetermined period of time is a month.
 16. Themulti-dose package of claim 11 where the re-occurring predeterminedperiod of time is a season.
 17. The multi-dose package of claim 11 wherethe re-occurring predetermined period of time is a year.
 18. Themulti-dose package of claim 11 where the specific target consumer is afemale.
 19. The multi-dose package of claim 11 where the specific targetconsumer is a male.
 20. The multi-dose package of claim 11 where thesupplements include indicia indicating when each supplement should betaken over the predetermined period of time.